Grenade launcher



Feb. 25, 1947. c. H. coATEs ET AL 2,416,287

GRENADE LAUNCHER Filed Jan. 11, 1944 2 Sheets-Sheet l FigilL.

CHAR LE5 H1: DATE-5,

HAY 5-1VI1LLER,

Feb. 25, 1947. c. H. COATES ET AL 2,416,287

GRENADE LAUNCHER Filed Jan. 11, 1944 2 Sheets-$heet 2 Pi E1- Fig 1 5.9 iwmw a Patented Feb. 25, 1947 'GRENADE. LAUNCHER Charles H. Coates, Baton Rouge, La., and Ray S. Miller, Columbus Ga.

Application January 11, 1944, Serial No. 517,802

'(Granted under the act of March 3, 1883, as amended April 30, 1928; 370 0. G. 757) 10 Claims.

The invention described herein may be manufactured and used by or for the Government for governmental purposes, without the payment to us of any royalty thereon.

The present invention relates to a grenade launcher and sight therefor. The assembly is especially designed for attachment to the .30 cal. M-l U. S. Rifle.

Among the objects of the invention is the provision of a launcher that can be quickly and conveniently attached to the gun barrel and secured thereon, and primarily one in which the act of attaching the launcher will automatically open a valve to permit the escape of gas in excess of that required for grenade propulsion, and means which may be conveniently manually operated to open the valve to condition the gun for grenade launching, or which may be cooperated with to the same end by the grenade in placing it in final position on the launcher.

A further important object is to provide a structure wherein the gun may be quickly changed from grenade launching to the firing of ball ammunition, without removing the launcher from the gun.

In the drawings:

Figure 1 is a longitudinal central section through the muzzle end of the gun and gas cylinder and the launcher, showing the valve closed or in the position it occupies when ball ammunition is being used.

Figure 2 is a similar view showing the valve open or in position for grenade launching, there being shown in section a portion of the grenade tail assembly or stabilizer and its tube.

' Figure .3 is a section on line 3-3 of Figure '2, through the launcher body, gun barrel and valve casing.

Figure 4 is a section on line 44 of Figure 2.

Figure 5 is a side elevation of the muzzle end of the gun showing a modified form of launcher and means for attaching it to the gun.

Figure 6 is a top plan view of the launcher and front gun sight.

Fig. '7 is an enlarged longitudinal sectional view on line 7-1 of Figure 6 through the muzzle end of the gun with the launcher attached, there being also shown in section the tail portion of a grenade.

Figure 8 is a fragmentary bottom plan view showing a modified means for locking the valve in open position by the launcher in placing it on the gun.

Fig. 9 is a section on line 9.9' of Fig. '8.

Fig. '10 is a fragmentary side elevation of a slightly modified means for launcher to the gun.

Referring to the drawings, and more particularly to Figures 1 through 4, the numeral I designates the gun barrel, slightly reduced in diameter at its muzzle end as indicated at 2, and externally threaded as at 3 to receive the internally threaded rear end of the launcher body or tube 4, whose rear end internal diameter is slightly enlarged to receive the reduced end of the muzzle. Integral with the rear end of the launcher is a depending ring 4' which forms a bearing for a screw plug valve casing, as will appear.

The barrel is provided with the usual gas port 5 communicating with the gas chamber 6 at the forward end of the gas cylinder "I, the chamber being formed between the front end of the piston 8 connected to the usual operating rod, and the face of a valve 9 cooperating with a valve seat ID in a screw plug casing II, threaded at I2 into the front end of the gas cylinder.

The valve casing I I extends forward to a point approximate to the end of the gun muzzle and has an end closed with the exception of the circular opening I3 for the snug passage of a valve rod or stem I i. The forward end of the rod carries a head 15 having an annular groove I6 for the reception of the tooth ll of a spring latch t8, the rear end of which is secured to the valve casing. The forward end of the latch extends sufiiciently beyond the head I5, as at I1, to be conveniently and manually manipulated to unlock the valve and permit it to close upon occasions where such position of the valve is required.

In the embodiment of the invention shown in the figures mentioned, the forward end of the valve casing is provided with a plurality of radially arranged openings I8 for the escape of excessive gas when the valve is open, or in grenade launching position. The rear inner wall of the casing is provided with a number of longitudinal grooves I9 extending from the rearopen end of the casing into communication with a chamber 28, the grooves serving to permit the escape of the gas from the chamber 6 in the gas cylinder to and through the chamber 20, and out of the casing through the openings I8 when the valve is open. The material of the casing between the grooves serves as bearings for the valve rod I4 and with the front wall of the casing accurately guide the rod and parts carried thereby.

From the foregoing, it will be seen that the gas that passes through the gas port 5 between the attaching the open valve and the piston end of the spring-- backed operating rod 8, will divide its pressure 3 between the valve casing and the piston, and some of the pressure will be absorbed by the operating rod spring, not shown, although such pressure will not be suificient to operate the breech mechanism of the gun.

The numeral 2| designates the rear end of a grenade tube of a known type, to which is rigidly attached a stabilizer 22 formed of a plurality of complementary circular segments 23, each having a spoke 2 3 whose inner end is brazed or otherwise attached to the tube, the outer end of each segment overlapping its neighbor, the whole forming the tail assembly of the grenade.

The launcher is screwed on the end of the gun to the required extent when the depending ring 4' of the launcher will register with the end of the gas cylinder, permitting the valve casing with its contained valve, to be screwed into said cylinder. The parts being in the position shown in Fig. 1, the grenade is slipped over the launcher body until the rear edge of the tube, Fig. 2, engages the face of the head I5 forcing its rod and valve rearwardly to an open position, causing the tooth H, which has been holding the valve closed, out of the groove It. At the end of this rearward movement, the tooth I1 will spring into engagement with the face of the head, as shown in Figure 2, to hold the valve open and thus, conditioning the gun for grenade launching. Now when it is desired to change back to bullet ammunition, the latch at I? is manually manipulated to draw back the tooth l'l until it clears the head l5. The head is then moved forwardly, until the tooth ll of the latch again engages the groove IE to retain the valve in a closed position.

As shown, the front gun sight sleeve is integral with the gas cylinder. Its upper portion 26 encircles the barrel and is usually provided with a transverse tenon 25' fitting into a mortise in the sight 2'1, whereby the sight may be changed when desired.

Reference is now made to Figures 6 through 9. The gas cylinder, valve and so much of the grenade as is shown, do not differ materially from the construction shown in the figures on Sheet 1. The difference exists mainly in the means for attaching and detaching the launcher tube or body, and in the provision of a ladder sight which may form a part of the launcher, the sight being so related to the grenade when on the launcher, as to enable the operator to quickly determine the launching angle of the grenade. The construction of the attaching means and the ladder sight is claimed in our divisional application No. 589,681, filed April 21, 1945.

In the form shown in Figures 1 and 2, the launcher body is screwed on to the barrel but in the form shown in Figures 6-9 the launcher is slide upon the barrel and latched thereon in a manner conducive to the quick and convenient assembling and disassembling of the parts mentioned.

The main latch assembly comprises an elongated plate 28 secured firmly to the flattened upper portion of the launcher body by securing screws 29. At the under side of the body is an elongated plate 28' which is accurately fitted against and slidably secured to the lower flattened surface of said body by guide screws 30 which pass through an elongated slot 30' in the plate. The slot is sufficiently long to permit the plate to be moved longitudinally of the launcher body a distance necessary to move a valve 4| to an open position by a holding pin carried by the lower plate, as will appear.

The upper plate 28 is formed with a lug 33 at its rear end, apertured for the passage transversely of a pivot pin 34 upon which is pivoted a bail-shaped lever 35, the arms of which have oppositely disposed holes for the reception of the inturned ends 36 of a latch loop 31, the integral cross-arm 38 of which engages the rear edge of the front sight 21, when the launcher is attached to the gun, the loop being stabilized and held in locked position by engagement between the crossarm and a cap 39 on the sight.

Welded or otherwise secured to the underside of the elongated plate 28' is a pin 40 which engages the rear end of the valve stem 4| slidably mounted in a bearing 42 in the rear part of a screw plug valve casing 43 screwed into the front end of the gas cylinder 7. The casing is provided with a valve seat 44 adjacent the gas port 5 in the barrel, and to the chamber 6 between the valve head and the end of the operating rod, as in Figures 1 and 2. The bearing 42 of the valve is grooved as indicated at 42, the grooves being like those that appear in Figure 4, and they are for the same purpose, that is, to permit the escape of gas around the valve body during grenade launching. The valve stem 4 l of the valve member 4| is provided with an annular projection 4| which abuts the shoulders on the forward end of the bearing 42 to limit the opening of the valve 4 I.

The lower elongated plate 28' is provided with a notch 45, Figure 8, to receive the end of a finger piece 46 of an arcuate spring latch 41 secured at its upper end to the launcher body by screws as shown, or by any other suitable means.

A ferrule 50 is a standard part of the gun. This is screwed upon the barrel threads and has an integral depending ring 5|, much like the ring t of Figure 4, and like the ring 4 forms a hearing for the screw plug valve casing 43.

In the Figure 7 form, the rear end of the launcher tube or body is recessed as at 50', the shoulder of which recess abuts against the front of the ferrule, and below against an extension 59" of said ferrule, thus defining the extent to which the launcher can be slid upon the barrel to a position where the parts of the latch assembly can be operated to lock the barrel and launcher together.

The numeral 49 designates the sight holder. This comprises the substantially parallel elongated plates 5| each provided with an ear 52 at one end, and a slightly offset portion 53 at the other, the offset portions embracing the rear end of the launcher to which they are rigidly secured by rivets 54, or other suitable fastening means. The ears 52 form bearings for a pivot pin 53, upon which is mounted the ladder sight 54, there being provided a stop 55 on one or both ears to limit the backward movement of the sight beyond vertical, and one or both ears may be provided with indentations 56, one to hold the sight in vertical position and the other in the folded position shown in dotted lines in Figure 5.

To assure proper frictional contact between the launcher tube or body and the grenade tube, the

body is provided with a partially split ring 51,.

presenting a number of resilient fingers 58 for engagement with the inner periphery of the renade tube.

The sight holder is described as being made of two substantially parallel pieces, but obviously this can be conveniently made of a single yokeshaped piece with the open ends of the yoke embracing the launcher, and the rear end embracing the sight hub.

To place the latch form of the launcher on the. gun it is only necessary to slide it onto the muzzle until it is stopped by engagement with the ferrule, the loop 3'! and lever 35 having been first raised. The loop is placed over the sight and the lever depressed, which movement of the lever, due to the eccentric mounting of the loop 31, draws the cross-arm 38 firmly against the sight.

During the application of the launcher to the gun, the pin 40 on plate 28' will not ordinarily open the valve 4|. However, the plate 28' will be engaged by the rear end of the grenade tube 2t when it is placed on the launcher, and be forced rearwardly to project the pin through the open front end of the valve casing into engagement with the valve to unseat it. During this described movement of the plate 28, the latch 41 will spring into the notch 45, locking the plate and pin against movement, in the position shown in Figure '7.

The cross-bars or rungs of the ladder sight will bear appropriate intelligence to guide the gunner in hi pursuit of the right angle at which to brace the gun in launching the grenade, the arrangement being such that a sight through an opening in line with the front end of the grenade will determine the angle at which the gun should be held.

In both forms, when it is desired to change quickly from grenade launching operations to firing of ball ammunition, the launcher may remain upon the gun without interfering with ball firing. In the first form, it is only necessary to release the latch l8 and pull the head I5 back to position in Figure 1, and latch the valve closed. In the second form as illustrated in Figures 6 to 9, the latch assembly may remain in the position shown, wherein the launcher is latched to the gun, but it will be necessary to close the valve ll. This can be quickly accomplished by manually releasing the lower latch 41 from its notch 45, and moving the plate 28' forwardly far enough to break the engagement between pin 40 and valve 4|, to permit the pressure in the gas cylinder to close the valve.

It is said with respect to both forms of the invention illustrated, that the mounting of the first grenade in its final position on the launcher will force the valve to open or grenade launching position, but this is a precautionary measure to assure that the valve will be opened when a grenade is on the launcher. The alternative is that before placing the launcher on the gun, and in the absence of a grenade, the plate 28 with its pin 40, in the form shown in Figure 7, will be manually moved to the position shown in said figure relative to the launcher body, in which po-' sition it will be locked by the latch 41, so that in telescoping the launcher on the gun, the pin 40 wil1 engage the valve and open it.

In the form shown in Figures 1 and 2, the valve is operated either manually by unlatching it from its position shown in Figure l and moving it forward to the latched open position of Figure 2, or automatically by the engagement with a portion of the grenade in placing it on the launcher.

Referring to the modification Figure 10, 59 designates a yoke whose arms embrace the launcher tube and may be secured thereto by screws 60. This yoke has a rearwardly extending arm 6| whose rear end is bifurcated and straddles the bayonet lug 62. To this arm is pivoted, at 63, a lever 64 like the lever 35, and.

like the lever 3.5 receives the inturned ends of a latch loop 65 which in this construction engages the rear edge of the bayonet me. The lug in this instance preferably will be notched a little to prevent the loop from becoming easily dislodged, and to assure a positive joint. In the base of the yoke, there is a hole for the passage of the sliding plate 28.

We claim:

1. In a gas operated gun including a gas cylinder, the combination with said cylinder of grenade launching means mounted on the muzzle of the gun, a valve in said cylinder operable to control the escape of gas from said cylinder, and means on said grenade launching means for opening said valve when said launching means is mounted upon the muzzle of the gun.

2. In combination, a grenade launcher and a gas operated gun, having a gas cylinder, said launcher comprising a body having a bore aligned with the barrel bore of the gun, means on the launcher body for removably attaching said launcher body to the gun, a valve in the gas cylinder for controlling the escape of gas from the cylinder, and means carried by the launcher body and arranged to engage and open said valve and hold it open when said launcher body is on the gun to thereby allow a portion of the gas to escape from the cylinder during grenade launching operations.

3. In combination, a grenade launcher, and a gas operated gun, having a gas cylinder, said launcher comprising a body having a bore aligned with the bore of the gun, means securing said launcher body in telescopic relationship with said gun, a valve in the gas cylinder for controlling the escape of gas from said cylinder, and means carried by the launcher operable to engage said valve to open it and hold it open during grenade launching operations.

4. In a gas operated gun including a gas cylinder, the combination with said cylinder, of grenade launching means mounted on the muzzle of the gun, a valve in said cylinder operable to control the escape of gas from said cylinder, a device carried by said launching means to engage the valve and open it in placing the launching means on the gun, and manually operable means to release the valve to permit it to close to condition the gun for firing bullet ammunition, without removing the launching means from the gun.

5. In combination, a grenade launcher and a gas operated gun, having a gas cylinder, said launcher comprising a body having a bore aligned with the barrel bore of the gun, a valve in the gas cylinder for controlling the escape of gas from the cylinder, and means carried by said launcher body and arranged to engage and open said valve and hold it open when said body is on the gun to allow gas to escape from the cylinder during grenade launching operations.

6. In a device of the character described, in combination with the barrel of a gas operated gun comprising a gas cylinder communicating with said barrel, of a valve casing secured to the forward end of the cylinder and provided with a passage therethrough communicating with the atmosphere, a valve seat in the casing and a valve cooperating with said seat, a grenade-supporting tubular body having a bore in alignment with the barrel bore and attached to the muzzle end of said barrel, means for attaching said body to the barrel, and a device carried by said body and arranged to engage and open' the valve and hold it open to permit gas to escape through said casing during grenade launching operations.

7. In a device of the character described, the combination with the barrel of a gas operated gun, of a gas cylinder communicating with said barrel, a valve casing secured to the forward end of the cylinder and provided with a passage therethrough communicating with the atmosphere, a valve seat in said passage and a valve cooperating therewith, and having a portion extending beyond the casing, a grenade supporting tubular body having a bore aligned with the barrel bore and attached to the muzzle end of said barrel, means for removably attaching the body to the barrel, said valve portion being positioned to be engaged by a portion of a grenade body in placing the grenade on the tube, to force said valve from its seat to permit gas to escape through said casing, and means carried by the casing for locking the valve in unseated position.

8. In a device of the character described, in combination with a barrel of a gas operated gun, of a gas cylinder, a valve casing having a gas passage therethrough communicating with the atmosphere and with said cylinder, a valve seat in the casing and a valve cooperating therewith, a grenade supporting tubular body having a bore in alignment with the barrel bore, means for removably attaching the body to said barrel, a device carried by said body and arranged to engage and open the valve and hold it open, in placing the body on the barrel, means carried by the body for locking said device in valve-opening position, said means being manually operable to unlock said device to permit the valve to close to condition the gun for firing ball ammunition without removing said body from the gun.

9. The invention of claim 3, characterized in that the means for holding the valve in open position comprises a stem carried by the valve and provided with a head, and a spring latch engaging said head.

10. The combination with an automatic firearm comprising a barrel, a gas cylinder mounted adjacent said barrel and communicating with the bore thereof, and a gas valve in a wall of said cylinder for relieving the gas pressure therein; of a projectile launching device mounted on the muzzle of said barrel for supporting projectiles to be launched by gas pressure generated in the barrel, and means on said device engageable with said gas valve to open the latter when said device is mounted on said barrel.

CHARLES H. COATES. RAY S. MILLER.

REFERENCES CITED The following references are of record in the file of this patent:

UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Name Date 2,339,285 Moore Jan. 18, 1944 2,335,299 Moore Nov. 30, 1944 940,527 Hale Nov. 16, 1909 1,247,464 Smith Nov. 20, 1917 1,233,224 Hale July 10, 1917 426,887 West Apr. 29, 1890 1,445,126 Bergman Feb. 13, 1923 

